Improved apparatus for carbureting air



J. H. IRWIN.

Carburetbr.

Patented April 11, 1865.

No. 47,256. r

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 11. lRWIN, or GHIGAGQlLLlNOIS.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURETING AIR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.,47,256, dated April 11, 1865.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. IRWIN, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented and discovered a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Generating Illuminating-Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings and the letters and figures marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of gasgenerating apparatus in which the illuminating-gas is produced by the passage of currents of atmospheric air over and in contact with naphtha or other similar hydrocarbon oils, whereby the :air becomes carbureted or surcharged with the volatile portions of the naphtha, and may then be used for illuminating purposes, substantially in the same manner that ordinary gas is used.

All apparatus of this class have heretofore been constructed and arranged upon the erroneous theory that the inflammable carbureted air produced in the manner above described is of a less specific gravity than the atmospheric air; but my invention is founded upon the theory and discovery that the specific gravity of said carbureted air is greater than that of ordinary atmospheric air, and consists in so arranging or placing the carburetin g apparatus above the point of combustion that the carbureted air falls down to such point by its own weight, creating a vacuum in the apparatus and inducing the air into the same, producing the requisite current automatically ,without theaid of any mechanical appliances for that purpose.

To enable those skilled in the art to understand how to construct and make use of my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity, making reference in so doing to the aforesaid drawings, in whichs Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of the carburetin g apparatus; Fig.2, a side view of the same. Fig. 3 shows the manner in which my invention is applied in practice. Fig. 4 shows another form of applying the same, and Fig. 5 is a top view of the carbureting-apparatus in Fig. 4:.

The same letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts of my invention.

A represents the apparatusfor carbureting the air, and consists of a close metallic pan or vessel air tight, except as hereinafter mentioned, provided with a series of vertical partitions,f(marked a,) which extend from the bottom to the top of the vessel, and are arrangedas. shown, being attached alternately to the.

opposite sidesof the apparatus, so as to cause the aforesaid current of air to pass back and forth across the machine through the passages formed by said partitions, asindicated by the arrows.

B represents an inclosure extending across the top of the apparatus at one end, covering or inclosin g the aperture 0, through which the air is admitted into the carburetoryithe opposite end of said inclosure B being perforated with numerous small holes, (marked 12 1),) through which the air is admitted into the inclosure B, and, passing along therein to the opening 0, enters the apparatus and passes in the course indicated by the arrows to the opposite side of the apparatus, where the carbureted air rises into the dome E and flows down the pipe F, to be distributed to the various burners below. (Marked G.)

The above'described apparatus should be filled about two-thirds full with naphtha, which is admitted into the machine at D, which is a removable stopper.

To put the apparatus into operation at first, a current of air must be propelled through the same by some mechanical means until the carbureted air thus produced fills the dome E and rises and flows down in the pipe F, after which the operation is automatic, the only attention required being to keep the apparatus supplied with naphtha or its equivalent. The pipe F, being once filled with the carbureted air, whenever the same is ignited and consumed at the burners, it, by its own specificgravity, flows down to supply the flame, its weight in the pipe giving the adequate'pressure, provided the fall of the gas is about three feet or more--that is, provided the point of combustion be that distance below the carburetor. The automatic downward flow of the gas creates a vacuum in the carburetor which is supplied by theexternal air rushing at'the opening 0, and thus a continuous current of air is produced through the apparatus,which, being in that manner carbureted, becomes a continuous supply of gas to the burners. The pipe F may extend upward above the apparatus A to any distance before returning downward, as shown, provided that it remains closed until it descends below the said apparatus, as the operation of my invention in this form is upon the principle of the siphon, and all the burners must be placed below the carburetor in order that the invention or apparatus may operate. There is no necessity, however, of extending the pipe F above the carbureting apparatus at all, for if it is extended upward no light can be obtained above the apparatus, and the same results are attained below it by extending said pipe F directly downward, care being taken to have the upper end thereof above the level of the naphtha, so that it cannot enter and flow down the same.

My invention is shown in this form in Fig. 4, II representin the carburetin g apparatus, Fig. 5 showing a top view of the same, the air-passage terminating at the center, near the upper end of the pipe F.

The apparatus is here represented as being placed between the ceiling of the apartment to be lighted and the floor of the room above, 0 representing a pipe through which the air enters the apparatus, and d a pipe through which the naphtha is introduced; and F, the gas-pipe leading to the burners G. The end of the pipe F in the reservoir H is curved down, as shown, simply for the purpose of preventing the naphtha from being thrown into the pipe by any agitation.

The object of the inclosure B, with its numerous small perforations, through which the air is admitted into said inclosure and thence enters the apparatus, is to guard against explosion should a lighted lamp be held near the same when any gas should be escaping through the aperture 0, as the flame could not pass through the small perforations b b, while it might enter the larger opening, 0, and ignite the naphtha and explode the apparatus.

A stop-cock may be placed at the opening 0 so as to close the same, and thus prevent the escape of gas when the burners below are not in use.

I do not limit myself to the use of a carbureting apparatus of any specific form or principle; but any apparatus which admits the air into the same and holds it in contact with the naphtha or its equivalent until it is impregnated with enough of the same to render the carbureted air of greater specific gravity than the atmospheric air, may be used.

The essential principle of my invention is that in whatever direction the pipes leading from the earbureting apparatus may extend, all burners connected with and supplied from said apparatus must be located below the apparatus.

Having described my improvement and its operation, I will now specify what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim- Arranging a carburetin g apparatus provided with an inlet for air and an outlet for gas, above the point of combustion, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shown.

JOHN H IRWIN. Witnesses:

\V. E. MAUS, L. L. OoBURN. 

